The Lapland War

The film is set in Lapland in the autumn of 1944, during the conflict between Finland and Germany in the final phase of the Second World War. Young soldier Heikki fights on the Karelian Isthmus alongside his friend Pauli. Arvo, recently released from prison, joins their company, and his worldview challenges the others’ ideas about war and duty. The armistice raises hopes of returning home, but it soon becomes clear that Finland must turn against its former German allies in Lapland. Meanwhile, Saara, who works as an interpreter for the Germans in Rovaniemi, must choose her future: stay in Finland or flee to Germany with her beloved, Major Duisberg. The Lapland War is a story rooted in its characters’ human experiences, about people caught up in historical upheaval. Amid the horrors of war, they seek meaning, humanity and forgiveness—and ask how mercy can be found in a merciless environment. Duration: 2h 38min, age rating: K16.